With dad and D4D on her side, King sets out to race (cont'd)

Clyde King re-mortgaged the family home and scraped every last penny the family could afford to spare to keep his daughter racing.

"It kind of split my family up, really," King said. "My dad was spending so much money on me to race and my mom got mad because it put them in debt and messed up their credit."

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King's 24-year-old brother, Jonathan, also was frustrated to see all the family's resources go to one sibling.

"I wish they would understand," said King, referring to her brother and mother. "They don't think it's a reachable goal for me. They know it's a money sport and we don't have any."

Meanwhile, King keeps fighting, but her family live under separate roofs these days -- she lives with her father while her brother lives with their mother.

Despite the family's hardships, King went on to race a partial schedule in NASCAR's Whelen All-American Series. In 2007, Clyde King decided to purchase the car and fund the program himself for a nearly a full season.

This season, High Point Racing and the Drive for Diversity program came through, affording King what she believes is a one-shot opportunity.

Her job: "Earn the respect of other drivers on the track.

"I've got to earn respect so they will race me like the way I race them, and I've become more of a professional. I'm not as immature about things," she said.

Racing go-karts, King said it was more or less a social scene. She would show up in her pajama pants and T-shirts and chat with friends for hours.

"That's what I used to do all the time," she said. "It was all socializing but now I've grown up a little bit and I have more experience."

What likely gave her that experience, King said, was the Drive for Diversity program.

"It's a really good program, they set me up with a team and the program gets my name out there and even my team is getting a lot of exposure and that's the biggest thing," King said. "And they also gave me media training and told me about the responsibilities that come with sponsorship."

King's father admits he is living a bit vicariously through his daughter. Nonetheless, he said she has what it takes and will continue to support her.

"I was at the store the other day and found a card with a picture of someone climbing a mountain and I got it for her because that's what Lindsey and I have been doing together since she was 9 years old," Clyde King said. "Both of us have been fighting these hurdles and she's almost to the top."

In the fall, King will begin class at Crafton Hills Community College and continue her part-time job at the Cabazon, Calif. mall, as well.

"College is my backup plan," King said. "I'm not sure what will happen next season, maybe more Late Models, but I really want to move up to NASCAR's Camping World Series, I just want to race. My dad has put everything into my racing that he can. I'll keep my name out here and hopefully someone will find me."

King hopes her recent history-making win at Toyota Speedway in the High Point Racing Drive for Diversity Chevrolet will keep her progressing.

"Well, my team has always believed that I'm a good driver and knew I could go somewhere, but the win confirmed everything," she said. "I'm making a believer out of people."

And soon enough, perhaps one of those people will be her mother.